Las Vegas Barometer '93: Problems

Here are some problems from a Flight A Qualifying
Barometer final. Scoring is matchpoints, against
very good opposition. (John Mohan and client were
not seeds.) This was an amazing event; the cards
ran psychotically and we were on or near the leader
board the whole time. I think I'm going to include
all the boards and let you play the whole session
with us. We were in the event the whole time and
generally had very good luck. We had decisions to
make on nearly every board, and many of them are
fascinating problems, especially if you like freak
hands and torturing very strong opponents. Again,
all your opponents have over 1000 masterpoints and
about a third are experts.

Top on a board is 39. Your partner is either Mike
Shuster or I, mostly Mike on the problems given
because I had most of the strange hands.

QJ6 AK986 J5 732

K9874 2 A102 AKJ10

Dummy

You

Pass

1

2*

4

Pass

* Drury

What do you think of the bidding?

You get a trump lead from Mohan. Plan the play.
(Mike's problem.)

--- J9862 --- AKQ98753

Board 2, right out of the box. White vs. Red, dealer.
What is your initial action? What is your plan?

End Round 1. We were in the middle of the pack.

A954 K7 103 QJ543 Vul vs not.

LHO

CHO

RHO

YOU

1

Pass

1

Pass

1NT

Pass

Pass

?

A10 105 KQ9732 543

LHO

CHO

RHO

YOU

---

1

1

2?

Pass

3

4

?

What is your plan?

End Round 2. We are off the board by 4 matchpoints.
They are computing the carryovers now, and since we
Q'd with a 177.8, we shall have minimal carryover.

10 105 KQJ965 QJ95 White vs Red.

LHO

CHO

RHO

YOU

---

---

1

3

4

Pass

4NT

Pass

5

Dbl

6

?

If you pass or double, what do you lead?

Q107 J54 10643 QJ7

K5 Q973 Q5 A6542

Dummy

Declarer

---

2NT (20-22)

3NT

Pass

You lead the 4, which goes to pard's 9 and
declarer's King. Small spade back. Let's say
you duck smoothly. Declarer inserts the 10 and
pard's Jack wins. He fires back the 3.
What's your plan?

End Round 3. I blew a board, putting us below average.
Things are looking grim.

No real problem. They pass a negative double at the
two level, and we get to play 2 smacked with an 8-card
fit. -500 wins vs. a red game for a near top. Another
example: don't let the opponents play an 8-card fit at
the two-level.

Again, their problem. They had AQ9xx vs. 10xxx in
trumps and played the suit technically right. (Which
is?) This is one my normal bete noires and this time
the burn got them.

End Round 4. Finally they have posted the carryovers.
We have 20.92 out of a max of 78. A good round has
put us over average, but not in striking distance of
the lead.

Q97 K854 K98 972 Red Vs. White (Mike's problem)

RHO

LHO

1

1

2

2

2NT

3NT

What do you lead?

--- AJ10986 AK102 K106 Both vul. (Mike held this one.)

CHO

RHO

YOU

LHO

Pass

4

?

Methods: double is takeout, 4NT is very shapely takeout.

End Round 5. Climbing, but still out.

102 J62 K9865 K103 (Mike's)

RHO

YOU

LHO

CHO

1

Pass

1NT

2

Pass

Pass

2

Pass

Pass

3

Pass

Pass

3

?

Early bids: 1 is 4+, limited to 15 HCP.
1NT is not forcing.

--- 8 KQ108653 AK943 They're vul.

LHO

CHO

RHO

YOU

Pass

3

Pass

4

4

5

Pass

?

What do you do if they bid 5 or 6 later?

End Round 6: A 31+ and a 32+ place us 10th
and on on the board!

Vs. Jeff Ferro. He plays a cold 3NT
and uses his radar to hold himself to 3 only
when the rest of the room is making 4 or 5. 33+,
which seems unduly harsh on him. He says that
the whole session has been like that--they've
misguessed everything.

A96 K8543 Q4 A65 None vul. (Mike's problem)

Holtz

CHO

Ferro

YOU

---

---

1

Dbl

1

pass

1NT

Pass

2*

Pass

Pass

?

* After a long hesitation.

End Round 7: Moved up to 9th after an OK round
against the Junior team anchors. It could have
been better.

AKJ82 KQ10965 J 5 White vs. Red.

LHO

CHO

RHO

YOU

1

Pass

1

1

2

4

Pass

Pass

Dbl

Pass

Pass

?

AQ6 KJ104 QJ75 Q3

LHO

CHO

RHO

YOU

---

Pass

1

Dbl

1

Pass

1NT

Pass

Pass

Dbl

Pass

?

End Round 8: Oops. A 1 on board 16 puts us 4 matchpoints
out of 10th place. We have fallen off the board. Goldman
and Shugart look like a lock with a full board lead at the
moment.

J632 109 4 KQJ874 None vul. (Mike's hand)

LHO

CHO

RHO

YOU

Pass

1

Pass

1NT (Semi-forcing)

2

Pass

pass

?

AQJ1098 95 7 K1096 White vs Red. (Mike.)

LHO

CHO

RHO

YOU

---

Pass

Pass

?

End Round 9: We stole both boards and Mike guessed the
play well on one of them to get a 27 and a 26. (19+ is
average.) We are less than half a matchpoint from 10th.

South opens an 11 count and passes a forcing bid
later in the auction, missing a vul game that is cold
on a show-up squeeze. (The hook works, but the queen
shows up.) We only get a 23+. TANJ.

Opening lead problem for the bad guys. They blow
it on an auction where I chose not to use a toy that
shows strength in the other major with a limit raise.
Lucky us. Another 28+

End Round 10: Entering the home stretch, we are up
to 9th. Goldman and Shugart are now almost two boards
in front. We are about one whole board out of second.
It is a dogfight.

A108 KQ875 753 63 White on Red.

2nd seat, dealer passes.

J73 5 1098 K109764 Red vs White

LHO

CHO

RHO

YOU

---

2NT1

32

?

1 20-22-2 natural

End Round 11: We hold on to 9th. A top and an average
minus actually move us up closer to the leaders because
Goldman-Shugart have a disasterous round and are now 2nd
(by a hair) to Campbell-McLellan. Third is less than
half a board away from us.

AK95 AQJ954 43 A (Mike's hand)

You

Pard

1

2

?

5432 J52 9854 Q10 None vul

LHO

CHO

RHO

YOU

---

2

Dbl

?

End Round 12: A top and a average plus put us in the running
for the event. We are 6th, two matchpoints out of third and
a half board out of 2nd. Campbell-McClellan are now a half
board ahead of Goldman-Shugart, but are well within striking
distance. Our last round will be against Paul Soloway and
his client. They have moved into our normal 9th place and
have a chance for the event, too, but a small one. They will
probably go for it. If they do and fail, we can win the event.

Q102 1042 Q85 6543

LHO

CHO

Soloway

YOU

1

Dbl

2

Pass

4

Pass

Pass

Pass

Your lead. Red vs. White.

A A4 AK983 K8542

LHO

CHO

Soloway

YOU

2

Pass

Pass

3

Pass

3

Dbl

?

End Round 13: I got board 26 right, but 25 wrong. A 6+ and
a 25 drop us back down to 9th and move Soloway up to 6th.
If I get the lead right on 25, we get an additional 23 matchpoints
and are 3rd overall. Campbell-McClellan hold on, but only beat us
by a board and a half. This event was available. Let's see if you
win it. Strangely, there was nothing at all to the play of the hands.
This whole game was a bidding competition.